Sunrise
by augmentedfourth
Summary: Opposites attract for a quiet biologist and a passionate artist, especially when it comes to their opinions about Mother Brain.
1. Chapter 1

Andi Burton was so deep in thought, she didn't hear anyone coming up behind her. The feeling of someone's hands on her shoulders nearly made her scream out loud, but she was aware enough of her surroundings to control herself. She spun around angrily, ready to confront whoever startled her.

"Geez, Tara, you nearly scared me half to death!" she hissed at her friend.

Tara giggled softly as she pulled up a chair next to the shaking woman. "I didn't realize you were studying so hard," she whispered. She looked over Andi's shoulder at the textbook her friend had been reading. "Art history...good stuff, huh?"

Andi tucked some stray strands of her pale pink hair behind her ears and sighed. "Not really, but I have to learn it anyway. This book is practically ancient, I have to be careful with it." She frowned down at the large tome in front of her. "Sometimes I wonder why I'm even bothering getting this degree in fine arts, barely anyone's going to college these days."

"So quit."

"I've thought about it, but I'm almost done. It would be silly to drop out now. Besides, I do want to learn everything I can about painting so I can get even better at it." She smiled slyly. "You'll be glad to know me when I'm famous."

Tara laughed out loud and earned herself a glare from the stern librarian. "If you ask me," she whispered, "you're better off going outside and painting rather than sitting around in this stuffy old building."

"You're probably right." Andi closed the book and headed for the circulation desk. As the facts she had just read and ideas for new artwork fought for prominence in her mind, she neglected to take notice of her surroundings and slammed right into a tall, purple-haired gentleman. The textbook was knocked out of her hands and his own book, along with a folder full of papers, scattered across the floor.

"Oh! Excuse me! I'm...I'm so sorry!" the man stuttered.

Andi bent down to help him gather his belongings. "Hey, don't worry about it. It was my fault." She put the pile she had collected on top of his and glanced at the book that he had picked up. "_Applied Genetics_," she read off the cover. "Very impressive," she said with a smile.

The man blushed slightly. "It's an older book, so I couldn't access it from the lab, and - "

"Shh!" The librarian interrupted him and glared at the duo.

Andi slid her art history book across the desk at the elderly woman and ignored her angry stare. "Let me buy you a cup of coffee, it's the least I can do after I made a mess out of your things," she whispered. "You can tell me more about this book and this lab of yours."

The stranger looked slightly confused, as if he wasn't accustomed to people actually wanting to hear about his work. Without saying another word, he walked with Andi out of the library, completely missing the impish wink she gave her friend on her way out.

The friendly student led her new companion into the small cafe that was adjacent to the library. She ordered two cups of coffee and instructed him to find them a table. After digging around in the pockets of her short skirt for the necessary meseta, she procured the hot beverages and sat down across from the object of her curiosity.

"Sorry about that old witch in there, she's like that with everybody." She stuck her hand out across the table. "I'm Andi."

"Gabe." Though his reply was terse, he accepted the handshake.

"Nice to meet you, Gabe. I haven't seen you around here before, are you a new student?"

He chuckled. "No, I actually graduated from the Zema branch of the Motavia Academy a few years ago. I work at the Biosystems Laboratory now."

"Wow, you must be really smart!"

Gabe blushed slightly. "Smart enough, I guess."

"What brings you to Paseo?" Andi inquired.

"As I was saying before I was interrupted by the 'witch', I needed to look up something in this book, but as it's pretty old, I couldn't access it from the lab's computers. Zema's library didn't have it, so I hoped I would have some luck here," he explained.

"Well, I'd say that my luck has just turned. Running into someone like you gave me just the study break I needed." she said with a big grin.

The shy biologist returned the smile. "Forgive me for asking, but isn't Andy usually a boy's name?"

"I spell it with an 'I' at the end."

"Cute."

She raised an eyebrow at him, pretending to be annoyed by his patronizing of her. "It's actually short for 'Deandra', which I never really thought suited me. I only use it on official documents and when I sign my paintings because I like the way it looks."

"Why don't you think it suits you? It's a pretty name for a pretty girl." The color in Gabe's cheeks deepened as he realized what he had said out loud.

"Aw, thank you," she giggled. " Aren't you sweet?" She grabbed a spare napkin and, using a pen she produced from her pocket, signed her name with a flourish. "There, 'Deandra Burton'. Hold onto that, it'll be worth a lot of money someday."

"Gee, thanks. I'll treasure it forever." He went along with the joke and tucked the napkin into his shirt pocket. "So you're an artist?"

"Yes, but not enough people know that yet."

"What do you like to paint?"

"Mostly abstract art," she answered, a dreamy look coming into her green eyes. "I like to take something, anything, and change it around to fit my own perceptions."

"I guess we sometimes do things like that at the Lab. Right now, we've only been able to alter the DNA of simple organisms, but it seems like we're making new discoveries every day."  
Andi was genuinely impressed. "I bet that's a lot harder than just throwing some paint on a canvas."  
"I don't know, I doubt I'd be able to paint anything noteworthy. Maybe the outside of my house, but that's about it."  
The smiling student checked her wristwatch and immediately scowled at its display. "Damn, I'm supposed to be in my next class in about five minutes." She stood up from her chair and took her half-full coffee cup. "So I guess you'll be heading back to the laboratory soon."  
Gabe nudged his heavy textbook that was sitting on the table. "I figured I'd stay overnight here in Paseo, copy the information I need from this book, and just return it tomorrow. I wouldn't want the witch coming after me and threatening me with late fees."  
Andi laughed. "No, we wouldn't want that."  
The flush returned to the biologist's cheeks as he fought to maintain eye contact with the pink-haired coed. "Maybe I could return the favor and buy you a cup of coffee tomorrow?" he softly asked.

"I thought you'd never ask," she answered coyly. "I'll come here tomorrow morning at nine o'clock so I don't keep you in Paseo too long." As he accepted the invitation, another glance down at her wristwatch caused Andi to mumble some unladylike words under her breath. Remembering her present company, she straightened up and smiled sweetly. "It was a pleasure meeting you, Mr..."

"Thompson." Gabe's face remained slightly pink. "It's actually Dr. Thompson."

"Oh, _excuse_ me." She took the opportunity to return his prior teasing. "It was very nice talking with you, _Doctor_ Thompson."

"The pleasure was all mine, _Deandra_," he returned, matching her tone.

Andi couldn't help but laugh again. "I'll see you tomorrow. Enjoy your textbook."

The following morning, Gabe was already waiting for Andi at the small cafe. She greeted him with a big smile as she joined him at their table, smoothing her flowered dress as she sat down. "Did you have fun reading all night?" she asked.

"No 'good morning'?"

She shrugged, but continued smiling. "Why waste time on silly small talk?"

"Fair enough." A mischievous twinkle came into Gabe's eye. "I returned the book to the library before coming here. I hope you don't mind I had a little rendezvous with the librarian without you."

Andi dramatically feigned shock and disappointment. "Well, there goes all the fun plans I had for today!" she sighed.

"Don't you have classes later?"

"The university doesn't hold classes on the weekend, silly."

"A college student is awake this early on a day without classes? I'm flattered."

"As well you should be." Andi looked out the window and watched as a gentle breeze ruffled the petals of a few stray flowers planted outside the cafe. "I have an idea," she said. "Let's skip the coffee and I'll show you around the campus, there's no use in wasting this beautiful day." Before Gabe could respond, she grabbed him by the hand and pulled him out into the bright sunshine.

The grand tour concluded at the library where they had first met. Andi sat down on a bench outside the doors and invited Gabe to join her. "Sorry I couldn't take you to any of the science labs, but to be perfectly honest, I don't know where they are," she apologized.

"That's okay." The purple-haired man squinted into the near-blinding sunlight. "I had fun seeing all the educational buildings, it brings me back to my college days. I'm glad you took the time to lead a boring, old man around."

She gave him a playful shove. "You're not old or boring. In fact..." She dropped her voice down to a whisper. "You're one of the more interesting people I've met in a long time. Try not to let that go to your head."

"I wouldn't dream of it, I'm also one of the most humble people you'll ever meet," he joked. "But I find it hard to believe that you can't find people to amuse you in a university setting."

Andi rolled her eyes. "All these college guys are dull beyond belief. They're either constantly drunk and hanging out of windows during their loud parties, or they have their nose permanently in a book, all day every day."

"I'll admit to falling into the latter category."

She pretended to look him up and down. "Yeah, I bet." A slightly more serious look came over her face. "It's not like there's even a huge number of students here anymore. I've been told that the enrollment rate has been declining steadily over the past number of years." She frowned. "I guess with Mother Brain taking care of everything, not a lot of people feel the need for higher education."

"That's a shame," Gabe said sincerely.

Not one to dwell on depressing subject matter, the bubbly student immediately switched topics. "Hey, I know what would be fun!"

"I'm sure you do."

"Always," she said, and stuck her tongue out at him. She tucked her legs up underneath her and faced him, so he could fully see her excitement. "Since I showed you around this branch of Motavia University, why don't you take me to the Biosystems Lab? I've never been inside a laboratory before!"

Gabe smiled at her enthusiasm. "I'd love to, but I don't think I could get clearance to get you inside."

"Why not? What's wrong with me?" she asked indignantly.

"There is absolutely nothing wrong with you," he said as he gently patted her shoulder. "We just have a lot of ongoing experiments that sometimes contain dangerous materials, and only people with the proper training are allowed into the labs." Gabe wasn't sure if his explanation was sufficient, as Andi still appeared to be sulking. "I may have a viable solution."

"What?"

"I can do my very best to describe it to you and you can paint it the way you think it should be."

Andi chewed on her bottom lip as she considered his proposition. "I accept your offer," she solemnly stated.

The studious biologist had never been especially confident around women, but the energetic, outgoing pink-haired woman in the patterned sundress had caused him to drop his guard just slightly. "If you'd like, you can meet me in Oputa next weekend. Even though I can't bring you to the lab, I'll hope I'll be able to maintain this facade of being interesting to you."

"I can't think of a better way to spend a weekend." She nudged his arm. "I'll even wake up early again for you."

"Twice in a row! I'd better think of something good for us to do."

"I have faith in you."

The pair continued to converse about various subjects until Gabe realized he needed to be heading home. Andi walked with him to the teleportation station and promised to be in Oputa in exactly one week's time. As he stepped into the portal, she gave him a little wave and blew him a kiss before he vanished into the air.


	2. Chapter 2

The first thing Andi saw as she stepped out into the streets of Oputa was Gabe waiting for her across from the teleportation station. She approached him and, as always, ignored the expected formalities. "Why are you wearing a scarf? It's pretty warm outside!"

Gabe was gradually getting used to the mannerisms of the capricious student and jumped right into the conversation with her. "You never know when the weather will change, and I have to walk home tonight."

"Oh, you don't live here in Oputa?"

"No, I live in the housing the lab provides for its full-time staff. I can't argue with such a short commute!" He adjusted the bit of red fabric around his neck. "Have you eaten yet?"

"No, I must have woken up too late for that," she said with a sly smile. "I am a little hungry, actually."

Gabe led the way to a food station around the corner from the teleportation station. As they ordered their meal, he saw the glint in Andi's eyes that meant she had come up with another one of her ideas. "Can we take this outside? I mean, outside of Oputa? It's so pretty around here, and I haven't been here in a long time, and we could have a little picnic, and..."

"Sure," he said, assuming it was useless to try to argue. "Sounds like fun."

The sympathetic employee provided them with bags for the food and they started walking westward out of the town. When Oputa was barely visible behind them, Andi finally plopped down next to a tall evergreen tree. "Isn't it so much nicer being out here?" Gabe had to agree.

"Let's keep walking," she suggested when they were finished eating. "I haven't been out here in years!" Gabe obediently followed her as she led them around trees, over a bridge, through tall grasses, until she finally decided on a small clearing. He watched as she gathered wildflowers of all shapes and colors, ignoring the light breeze that tousled her petal pink hair.

As promised, the biologist described the Biosystems Lab to his companion, trying to think of all the details her artist's mind would want to hear. Andi listened intently, asking intelligent questions here and there, and tied her flowers into chains of various lengths. Gabe couldn't help but smile as, when he was in mid-sentence, she draped a crown of small white daisies over his deep purple hair.

"The Biosystems Lab sounds like a fascinating place," the student said. She thought for a moment as she fiddled with her botanical jewelry. "Part of me is still surprised that it's still open and functional."

"What makes you say that?"

She wrinkled her nose. "Well, first of all, I think it's great that you still have enough people interested enough in science to keep it running. So many people don't even have jobs anymore." Even though they were alone in the woods, far from any of the towns, she dropped her voice to a whisper. "I'm surprised that Mother Brain lets you keep experimenting and creating new things. It somehow seems strange that she lets the lab operate without her direct control."

"If it weren't for Mother Brain, there probably wouldn't be a Biosystems Lab," Gabe responded. "Before she came to Motavia, the people were more concerned with feeding their families and fighting to survive. Now that we don't have to worry about that as much, we're free to do whatever we want, including genetic research."

The sky began to grow dark as they continued their debate, but neither appeared to take notice. "Unfortunately, there aren't enough people like you. What if something happens to Mother Brain? We, as a society, have grown so damn lazy, we'd probably die before we figured out what to do," Andi argued.

"We might have died anyway. See this grass you're sitting on?" Gabe ran his hands over the soft green blades between them. "It used to be miles and miles of nothing but hot, dry sand."

Andi wasn't convinced. "But what's the point of being here if we're not going to _do_ anything? Remember what I said about the declining enrollment rates at Motavia University? While there are still some people like you and me who have goals and plans, it seems like half the planet is content to just sit around, twiddling their thumbs."

"And if that's what they want to do, why not? They're not hurting anyone."

She frowned. "It just seems like such a waste. I'm not claiming that I'll be making any great contributions to Algolian life with my art - "

"You're not?" he interrupted, pretending to be surprised.

"Maybe sometimes," she admitted with a small smile. " Anyway, my point was that even if my art doesn't directly benefit people in a tangible way, at least I'm doing _something_ with my life. Some days, though, I just feel like I'm in a growing minority."

"Well, if I'm in that minority with you, at least I'm in good company."

"How flattering." She graciously accepted the compliment. "But it doesn't sound like I've convinced you of the validity of my point of view yet."

"Do you have to?"

Andi pretended to give his question great thought. "I guess not. Not tonight, anyway." A playful grin pierced through her previously serious expression. "I may wear you down though, I can be awfully persistent."

"I'm sure," he chuckled. Gabe turned his gray eyes up towards the sky and realized that the sun had practically disappeared. "Wow, it got dark out here pretty fast. Shall we head back?"

Andi followed his gaze upward. "Oh, look! The stars are just starting to come out! Can't we stay out here a little longer? They look so much different from here than in the city!"

The easy-going scientist agreed, as it had been a long time since he had taken the time to appreciate the beauty of the glimmering constellations. Despite the setting of the sun, the evening was unseasonably warm, and he removed his scarf and folded it up. Placing it on the ground, he reclined and rested his head on the makeshift pillow to get a better look at the night sky. Andi, having no other alternative, chose to rest her head on Gabe's stomach, her body perpendicular to his.

They were able to locate Palma and Dezoris with ease, and Gabe knew the names of a number of the other objects in the sky as well. They discussed the planets of Algol, space travel, and various other subjects. Conversation eventually meandered from the history of their solar system to the more intimate histories of their own lives and there was never a quiet moment.

After many hours, the stars started to fade. "I can't believe we stayed out here all night," Gabe said, rubbing his eyes.

"Oh, don't tell me you never pulled an all-nighter in your college days, I refuse to believe it!" The familiar twinkle made another appearance in Andi's eyes as she sprung to her feet. "Come on, let's go! We don't have much time if we're going to make it!" She grabbed his hand and pulled him to his feet.

Gabe didn't bother asking about her plans, as he barely had time to grab his scarf before she ran off into the woods, never letting go of his hand. They darted around trees and raced through the open plains, Andi's giggles leading the way. Ahead of them, Gabe could make out where the land suddenly stopped, a sharp drop down to the crashing waves below.

Andi finally stopped running as they reached the edge of the great island. There was nothing in front of them but the expansive ocean, an endless display of deep blue. The first trickles of light had started to sneak out over the horizon, but she didn't mind. "Oh good, we didn't miss it," she said in between deep breaths.

"You must love things like this, I bet you wish you had your paints with you," he observed.

She shook her head, disturbing the few last flowers that had managed to cling on for dear life during their rush to the water. "I never paint the sunrise. I know I'd never get it right." She pointed out towards the ever-brightening sky. "Let's watch."

Almost as if some divine hand had pulled back a curtain, Algol suddenly revealed itself to its two onlookers. The fiery sphere of their beloved sun glowed in the distance, spreading its essential light out over the brilliant sea. The two admirers watched in silence as Algol made its daily gradual climb, completely eradicating the darkness of the night. "I sometimes feel better knowing that no matter what happens, Mother Brain can never control _everything_," Andi whispered.

Gabe turned to face her as she spoke and saw that she had closed her eyes. Her chin was lifted slightly as her face was bathed in sunlight and Algol's gentle rays wove themselves through her flowing hair. The paleness of her skin, the pink hues of her messy locks, and the golden light that was radiating around them all seemed to swirl together into a glorious palette, and for the first time, the serious scientist felt as if he was seeing the world through the eyes of an artist.

His breath caught in his throat as he watched her and he felt an indescribable urge to become part of her perfect picture. Without thinking, he stepped closer and pressed his lips against hers. The shock of feeling her skin against his own was enough to make him immediately pull away and blush furiously. "I...I'm...so sorry," he stuttered. "I don't know what came over me."

Andi's initial look of surprise quickly mellowed into one of satisfaction, perhaps slightly tinged with a hint of amusement. "Don't be," she returned as she reached up to pull his head back down to hers.

The light of the new day pushed them to explore each other, hesitantly at first, but gradually increasing in intensity. Andi pulled the taller man closer to her, wanting to feel every bit of him against her. He felt warm, from a combination of their run to the cliffs, the new sunlight, and perhaps an indecent thought or two. She ran her hands over as much of him as she possibly could, wanting to feel every line, angle, and plane of his lean body.

Though he was fully enjoying the moment, the ever-cautious Gabe was conscious of the nearby cliffs and tried to lead her away from the edge. Distracted by far too many things, they tumbled backwards and landed with a jolt in the dewy grass.

Startled by the fall only briefly, Andi propped her head up on one hand as she looked at Gabe lying next to her and laughed. "See? I knew you knew how to have fun," she said slyly as she pulled him in close again.


	3. Chapter 3

At the end of the year, Andi graduated from the Paseo branch of the Motavia Academy with a degree in fine arts. She moved into a cramped apartment near the center of the city and got a job working part-time at a tool shop. The job probably wasn't necessary, as many of Paseo's residents did not work, but dealing with monomates and telepipes gave her the break from painting she sometimes needed. She'd had some small successes in selling some of her work, but unfortunately, it seemed that most of the people of Motavia had very little interest in anything remotely creative.

Gabe would teleport to the city on alternate weekends, and she, in turn, would travel to Oputa twice a month and walk to the cottage that was provided to him by the Biosystems Lab.

The first time Andi set foot inside his home, she immediately deemed the walls "too bare and white" and promised to remedy that particular situation on her next trip. The tiny house only had several rooms and, as was to be expected, was perfectly clean and tidy.

The small group of scattered buildings outside the laboratory didn't really even constitute a village – they were all residential spaces, save for one tiny tool shop (that wasn't nearly as well-stocked as where Andi worked) and a food distribution center. There was no teleportation station, hospital, or other amenities usually found in the Motavian towns. If the staff of the lab needed anything else, a trip to Oputa or Zema (both of which were in walking distance) was necessary.

"I'm so comfortable, I don't want to get up and walk back to Oputa today," Andi whined one morning. She rolled around and faced the window, where the early sun was streaming in. Reaching out her hand into the golden beam, she twisted her wrist and turned her palm upward, seemingly playing with the particles of light.

Gabe didn't mind the covers of his usually well-kept bed being disrupted, as he had learned long ago that trying to contain Andi was like trying to catch a thunderstorm in a test tube. "If you don't want to go, then don't go," he simply stated.

She turned back towards him and scooted her body up so her face was closer to his, thoroughly tangling herself in the blankets in the process. "Maybe I won't, then."

"Okay."

She needed more of a reaction. "Maybe I'll never leave. You may be stuck with me forever."

"That's fine. I could learn to live with that."

Andi quickly shot up into a sitting position, her rumpled pink hair flying forward into her face. "Really?" she asked, cocking her head at him.

"I'd love it if you came to live here. I just didn't think you'd want to leave the glamorous life of the big city," Gabe admitted.

"Eh, I can take it or leave it." She pondered the idea for a few moments. "And you'd still let me paint here?"

The sleepy scientist chuckled softly. "Andi, I don't think anyone's ever 'let' you do anything. You'd do whatever you wanted, anyway."

"This is true." She leaned back against him. "Then it's settled. I'll never leave here again," she said dramatically.

"I would think you'd need to go back to Paseo eventually to gather your belongings," Gabe pointed out.

"Damn you and your logic!" Andi grabbed her pillow and gave him a gentle bop on the head. His efforts to wrestle it away from her were unsuccessful, so he reached behind him to grab his own feathered weapon, laughing the whole time. He used it to fend off a second attack before getting in a hit of his own.

After declaring a truce, Andi flopped back down and curled up next to the pillow-less Gabe. "You know," she said pensively, "if I move here, you're probably going to wind up marrying me."

"The thought had crossed my mind."

"I promise not to wear you out too much."

He kissed her. "Then what would be the point of having you here?"

Within a month, Andi had completely established Gabe's home as her place of residence. In another month's time, they stood at their favorite place above the ocean early one morning, accompanied by a court clerk from Paseo. As marriage was nothing but a legal contract in the eyes of the Motavian government and Mother Brain, the simple procedure could have easily been done in the capital city, but the starry-eyed artist had insisted on the sunlit ceremony.

"Welcome home, Mrs. Thompson," Gabe said as he opened the door to their home for her upon their return.

"Mrs. Deandra Thompson..." Andi pouted slightly. "It sounds so _old_!"

"Look on the bright side, now you have a new signature to practice. I'm sure this one will be even more famous than the last."

Her face brightened slightly. For a moment, she was torn between grabbing a sheet of paper and deciding on how best to incorporate her artistic flair into her new written name and pouncing on her new husband in celebration. After not much deliberation, she opted for the latter.

When Gabe opened his eyes the following morning, the first thing he saw was a half-dressed Andi perched on a stool she had dragged over to the bed, her easel in front of her. He stirred slightly and her paintbrush stopped moving over the canvas as she noticed he was awake. "Don't move yet," she instructed. "I almost have what I need."

"I hope your artistic vision includes pants," the exposed man mumbled into his pillow.

"I figured my first work as the greatly talented artist Deandra Thompson should have something to do with married life. You know, to symbolize the change..."

"And me sleeping naked in bed is your idea of a good representation of marriage?"

"Isn't it?"

After some consideration, Gabe realized he couldn't argue. "Wake me when you're done," he said, but he never closed his eyes. Instead, he watched her, as he had frequently done before. Her hand moved gracefully across the canvas, as if starring in a beautifully choreographed ballet. A wide variety of emotions rippled across her face, from excitement to serenity to frustration and back again. Gabe sometimes wondered if he looked the same way when he was hard at work in the lab. Since meeting Andi, he realized there was a certain sort of beauty to be found in the cells and organisms he studied and experimented with, if one knew where and how to look for it.

"Okay, you can get up now." He sat up as she carefully slid the easel out of the way. "I'll work on it more later. Do you have to go to the lab today?" she asked.

"They won't miss me if I'm gone one more day." He reached his arms over his head, stretching out his muscles before getting up to officially start the morning. "It's up to you. If you want to concentrate on your painting, I'll go in. If you'd rather have me around to entertain you, I'll stay. Whatever makes you happy."

"That _is_ a tough decision," she teased. She put the rest of her supplies away before coming back to face him again. "You know nothing makes me happier than you," she said with a smile. With one quick motion, she pulled off the paint-smeared shirt and pushed him back down.

By the time Gabe returned from the lab the following evening, Andi was nearly finished with the painting, having worked on it all day. His body and the bed were comprised of various shapes and strange angles, and the room whirled around him in colors that could be found nowhere in the small house, but somehow, he could see the resemblance.

"I like it," he told her. "We can hang it right over the bed, it'll be like looking in a mirror every day," he joked.

Gabe continued to work at the lab and Andi continued to paint, occasionally traveling to the surrounding towns to replenish her supplies and sell her artwork, with varying levels of success. She would usually put down the paintbrush when he came home in the evenings, but every now and then she would be so engrossed in her work, it would be pointless to try to stop her.

One night, Gabe idly flipped through a book as Andi busied herself across the room. When he looked up, he saw that something about her was different. Usually when she painted, every thought and feeling that was going through her mind was prominently displayed on her face, but now, as she twirled the brush, she only looked...subtly amused.

He crossed the room and stood behind her, following her gaze. Instead of her usual wild brushstrokes, there was a simple, almost cartoon-like, figure in the center of the canvas. Gabe thought it bore a strong likeness to him, though it was smaller and had different proportions. Curiously enough, its head was topped by a untamed mass of pink hair.

"What's this?" he asked with a smile.

She set the brush and palette down before looking up at him. "Oh no, you caught me!" she laughed. Turning back to the easel, she studied her little character before answering. "I was just thinking about what our children are going to look like," she admitted, blushing slightly.  
Gabe slid an arm around her shoulder. "Apparently, you think they're going to look like me."

"Partially, anyway."

"Except the hair, it seems."

Andi let out a soft giggle. "Well, I figured that since I have the more dominant personality out of the two of us, those genes would be more dominant, right?"  
The biologist laughed with her. "I don't think it works quite that way," he said, kissing the top of her head. "Maybe you should give him a little white lab coat while you're at it."

"Maybe he won't be interested in biology," she teased.

"That's impossible. I'll make it sound like the most fascinating field he could ever hope for." He gave her a little wink. "It worked on you, didn't it?"

"Maybe he can illustrate electronic textbooks, I think that's a fair compromise."  
Gabe put his face in his palm and shook his head. "This poor kid. He doesn't even exist yet and we're already planning out his whole life."

"Isn't that what all parents do?" Andi legitimately asked.

"Probably." A slight look of panic came over his face. "What if it's a girl?"

Andi finally spun around to face him directly. "She will have her daddy wrapped around her little finger. Just like her mother."

"I won't even stand a chance in my own house," he groaned. He took her hands in his and tugged. "Come on, let's go to bed." As he led her into the bedroom, he added, "And when you fall asleep, make sure you're dreaming about baby _boys_."

After she was certain that Gabe was out for the night, Andi slipped through the dark rooms of the house and approached her little painting. Turning on a small lamp, she decided to apply the finishing touches. As she added some minute details, she reflected on her life in her home outside the Biosystems Lab. Perhaps it wasn't the most exciting life, but she was content; according to Gabe, that was all Mother Brain really wanted for her "children". It had been surprisingly easy to let her concerns about the seemingly omnipresent entity slip away, though she probably wouldn't give him the satisfaction of admitting it. If this was how she, as a citizen of Motavia, was supposed to live, she accepted it willingly and gladly.


	4. Chapter 4

On occasion, Andi took the time to haul all of her supplies and the necessary furniture outside so she could enjoy the warm sunlight while she painted. The rustling of branches in the breeze and the melodic chirping of a few small songbirds provided an excellent accompaniment to her creative moods. Her paints seemed more vibrant in the natural light, their dynamic colors calling out to her, inspiring her.

She sat atop her stool on an ordinary morning, using her brightest greens and blues to paint a beautiful, yet surreal landscape. As she prepared to add another layer to the rolling hills, the ground rumbled beneath her, pitching her forward and knocking over her easel. The tremors last no more than a moment or two, but Andi couldn't recall having ever experienced something similar.

The confused artist picked herself up off the ground and dusted herself off. Looking around, she could see nothing unremarkable. "That was odd," she murmured to herself as she righted the easel and inspected her canvas for signs of damage. Shrugging off the strange incident, she sat back down and continued on as if nothing had happened.

An hour or so later, Andi was so focused on her artwork, she almost didn't hear her visiphone ringing inside the house. She jumped up, ran inside, and tried to trace its location based on its high-pitched tones. Having finally found it underneath a pile of laundry, she pushed a button and the screen lit up.

A man with silver hair and a white coat much like Gabe's appeared. "Deandra Thompson?" he asked.

"Yes?"

"My name is Dr. Sage, I'm calling from Oputa General Hospital."

Even before the doctor could say another word, Andi felt as if she'd been punched in the stomach. She hadn't realized she had closed her eyes until she forced herself to reopen them. "What's wrong?" she managed to squeak out.

"There was an accident at the Biosystems Lab, your husband was teleported here with several of his colleagues." Andi fought the urge to vomit on the small communication device. "He's stable now, but you should come here as soon as possible."

Andi closed out the screen on the visiphone and looked around the room in a daze. Some instinct eventually kicked in and her feet started moving her towards the door. As her hand reached the knob, a better idea entered her mind and she abandoned the door in favor of a small cabinet. A little digging around produced a telepipe, which would make her trip infinitely faster. She set the coordinates for Oputa and waited for the weightless feeling of teleportation to settle in.

Less than a minute later, she was bursting through the doors of the foreboding hospital. After a few tries, she managed to get her name out to a nurse who directed her to the correct room. She flew through the hallways, not caring who or what she collided with, and skidded to a stop inches from Gabe's bed, nearly taking out another nurse in the process.

He looked the same to her, save for the monitors attached to various limbs and the oxygen mask covering most of his face. His eyes fluttered open at the sound of her arrival, and in their smoky gray depths, Andi saw a fear she had never seen before. He tried to speak, but the impeding mask and the trauma he had suffered only allowed scattered words and phrases to make their way out.

"...basement...earthquake...explosions...shouldn't have happened...Brain..."

Andi turned to the nurse, who was coaxing Gabe to stop talking and rest, and started to tremble. She was vaguely aware of the nurse explaining his condition to her, but the words sounded like they were traveling through some ominous gelatinous substance. The room started to spin around her, and for a fleeting moment, she felt as if she were trapped inside one of her dazzlingly bright canvases with no way out before she fell to the floor.

When she awoke, she was in a hospital bed of her own with an IV strapped to her arm. She scowled at it and was tempted to rip it out, but decided to wait for medical attention. Not long after she opened her eyes, a young, well-dressed doctor came to her bedside.

"Gabe? Where's Gabe?" she immediately asked.

The doctor reached for the electronic chart attached to the bed and pushed a few buttons. "Dr. Thompson is resting, we'll take you to him soon," he said after matching up the names. "Let's worry about you for now."

"I'm fine, I was just shocked by seeing him like that. Can you take this damn thing out of my arm?"

"In a few minutes." The doctor used a stylus to scroll through more information on the small screen. "Have you eaten today?" he asked, raising an accusatory eyebrow.

Andi had to think about the question. "I...think I skipped lunch," she finally answered. "...Maybe breakfast, too," she admitted sheepishly.

He shook his head at her. "You can't do that when you're pregnant, it's not good for you or the baby."

Andi blinked. "What?" The meaning of the doctor's words finally materialized inside her head. "Oh, _shit_."

The doctor had heard nearly every possible reaction to that bit of news before, but the second eyebrow joined the first one in concern. "I'm sorry," she said. "I'm fine, this is good, it's just been a crazy day." She looked up at him and bit her lower lip. "I guess it's not possible to go home, crawl into bed, and start today over again, right?"

"Sorry, we can't do that here." The doctor inspected the bag of liquid that was attached to the port in Andi's arm. "Let's get you re-hydrated, this should be done in a few more minutes. Then you can go see your husband."

Andi glared at the fluids, mentally willing them to drip faster. The nurse sent to remove the IV also got an impatient look for not moving fast enough. As soon as she was detached from everything that was keeping her in the bed, she sprung up and raced back to Gabe.

He was awake. Trying to smile through the oxygen mask, he greeted her. "Hey, there you are," he said softly.

After casting a quick glance over her shoulder to make sure the nurse was gone, she gently moved some wires out of the way and slid into the bed next to him, pulling his head against her shoulder. "Don't ever scare me like that again," she murmured, stroking his soft plum-colored hair.

"I'll try my best." He reached up to remove the mask and, in response to Andi's noise of protest, waved off her concerns. "I'm fine, I'm feeling much better."

"Do you want to tell me what happened? You can wait until later if you're tired."

"No, really, I'm okay." He shifted slightly in the bed and tried to turn his head so she could hear him better. "We were working in the basement of the Lab. All of a sudden, it felt as if the walls were going to cave in on us. The earth around us was shaking and we couldn't do anything to stop it." Andi felt his body tense slightly against her. "Everything was crashing down, exploding around us. Chemicals were spilled, cell cultures destroyed...even when everything had stopped moving, we were still in danger. It was so hard to breathe down there..." he trailed off, shaking slightly with the memory.

Andi was not used to this side of the good-natured biologist and felt more unsettled than she had when she'd first entered the room. She wanted to fling her arms around him and disappear into him, but the various medical equipment surrounding him implied that it would be impossible. She settled for pressing her lips against his temple. "You're okay now," she whispered into his hair.

He shook his head. "Not all of our team made it out," he said quietly. He closed his eyes and Andi could feel him trembling slightly more. "I can still hear them screaming, when everything was breaking around them. Hugh Cassidy, my former mentor, died instantly. Some of the guys who were alive when we made it back up were covered in chemical burns, I don't know how they're doing now." From above, Andi could see a solitary tear drip off his cheek.

Grief quickly turned to anger, however; an emotion that, coming from him, was even more surprising to her. "This shouldn't have happened!" he nearly shouted, a series of coughs punctuating the strong statement. "There hasn't been an earthquake on Motavia in decades! Mother Brain is supposed to be able to control all of the planet's systems! The Lab's safety measures were supposed to be foolproof!"

Andi wasn't sure how to respond. "It was an accident," she simply said.

"There aren't supposed to be accidents like this." After his small outburst, Gabe seemed to relax, as if vocalizing his negative thoughts had eliminated them completely. "We'll get through this. We can rebuild the lab, and all of our notes should be backed up in the computers upstairs."

"I think your colleagues would want it that way," she said, trying to sound comforting. "You always say that Mother Brain will take care of us, things will work out." She wasn't sure if this was an appropriate time to share her news, but she knew he needed to find out sooner rather than later. "Just don't work too hard. You need to save up your energy for the little future scientist you're going to be chasing around in less than a year."

Gabe twisted around so he could look at her directly, not caring if he knocked anything off his body. "Really?"

"Yup. Apparently, I'm going to have to learn to be a responsible adult sooner rather than later."

He smiled up at her, still letting her revelation fully sink in. "You'll be just fine." He leaned his head back against her shoulder and tried to put his hand on top of hers, but it was yanked back by the sensor monitoring his pulse. "I guess life and death really do work on a cycle," he said thoughtfully. "I lost people I was close to today, I saw lives end, but soon, I'll be witnessing the start of a new life."

"Wow, they must really be giving you the good drugs," Andi teased.

Gabe laughed with her. "Maybe. Pretend I said something very philosophical and poignant about beginning and endings and lifespans and whatnot. I'll think it through better once I'm out of here."

"I'll be expecting a touching speech." She stroked his cheek. "But I liked the part about you getting out of here better. You'd better come home quickly before I paint the entire house orange, or something like that."

"Believe me, I want to go home as soon as possible." He couldn't reach her face, so he settled for kissing her collarbone. "Don't worry. Everything's going to be okay."


	5. Chapter 5

Andi awoke in the middle of the night and rolled over, only to find that Gabe was not sleeping soundly beside her. She sat up, looked around, and saw light coming in from outside the bedroom door. Wrapping a blanket around her shoulders, she followed the light and discovered Gabe hunched over the bathroom sink, vomiting.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to wake you up," he said when he saw her, wiping his mouth.

Andi stared wide-eyed at what she thought were tinges of blood. "What's wrong?"

"It's nothing, I just haven't been feeling well for a few days. It's probably just something I ate."

As the words came out of his mouth, Andi could tell that even he didn't believe them. "How many days is 'a few'?"

He couldn't look at her. "Maybe a week...or two." His red-rimmed gray eyes flicked upward. "I couldn't have you worrying about me, it's not good for you."

Her hand instinctively went to her protruding stomach. "I don't care, you still should have told me you were sick." He wordlessly agreed with her. "Get dressed. We're going to Oputa."

"What?"

"You need to see a doctor. Come on, let's get going."

"Andi..." Gabe was finding it difficult to maintain eye contact with her again. "A doctor isn't going to tell me anything I don't already know. I work in a laboratory, remember?"

"Is this because of that explosion?" He nodded. "Tell me everything, and so help me, Gabe Thompson, if you are anything less than one hundred percent truthful with me."

"There's not much to tell." He splashed some cold water on his face and dried it off with a towel before continuing. "I breathed in toxic fumes. I was exposed to malignant cells we were breeding, along with the media in which we were growing them. I'd be surprised if there _weren't_ any bad effects."

Andi felt helpless. "So what now?"

He shrugged his shoulders. "We were the only ones working with those relatively new materials. There's never been an accident like there was several months ago. There's not much else to do but wait and see what happens, and document everything."

She remembered the rest of his team. "What about the others?"

"They're experiencing some of the same symptoms." He looked down again. "More or less," he mumbled.

"More or less?" she repeated, unsure of whether to be angry or upset.

He struggled to keep his voice even. "A couple of the guys haven't been to the lab in a while."

Andi closed her eyes. "Are they alive?" she asked, fearing the answer.

"As far as I know, yes. They just...haven't been feeling well enough to come to work."

She kept her eyes closed as she thought about what to say next. "I don't want you going back there," she finally told him.

"Why not?"

Her eyes flew open and she stared at him in disbelief. "There's already been one explosion that nearly cost you your life!" she reminded him.

"It was an accident, you said so yourself." The biologist tried to choose words that he thought would sound reassuring. "Upstairs in the lab, they've been monitoring the local seismic activity, their findings align with reports generated by Mother Brain. Everything is under her control, there's nothing to worry about."

"It was supposed to be under her control the first time!"

He didn't have a valid response. "Don't you'd think you'd get tired of me being here all day with you?" he asked, trying to manage a smile.

"At least I'd know you were safe."

He crossed over to her and put his arms around her shoulders. "I'll be fine," he said as he pulled her close to him. "I really do want to assist in the rebuilding of the basement lab, but if you don't want me to go, I won't."

Andi knew how much he loved his work and felt slightly guilty for her previous request. "If it's that important to you, then go," she said into his chest. "Just promise me you'll be okay."

"I promise."

Unfortunately Andi got her wish, for in a month's time, Gabe was too weak to work at the lab. Despite his efforts to hide it, she knew he would still get ill throughout the day and there was no denying that his dark purple hair had grown thinner. He tried to remain upbeat, though, as he didn't want to lay his burdens on the mother of his child.

"I must be boring you," he said to her as she lay curled up in a ball next to him in bed, almost looking more feline than human.

"I'm not bored."

"Why don't you go paint something?" he suggested. "You haven't painted in a while."

"I don't feel like painting."

He reached down to stroke her long hair and frowned. As bad as he felt physically, he felt worse for taking away some of the passion and energy that had previously defined Andi. He continued wrapping the soft pink strands around his fingers and tried to think of something else for her to do, anything to cheer her up.

As she felt his hand near her face, she instinctively reached out to touch him in return. She was lying on her side, approximately eye-level with his abdomen, and she ran her fingers along the smooth skin directly in front of her. Gabe had always been slim, but as he had been having difficulties keeping food in his stomach, she could now practically count the ribs she was looking at.

It seemed as if he could read her mind. "I'm sorry that not only am I a boring old man, I am now a hideous, boring old man," he tried to joke.

She shook her head. "You're beautiful."

"Men are supposed to be handsome," he teased.

"I don't care."

"Hey, look at me." She managed, with some difficulty, to scoot her body around so she could see his face. "Just because I'm not going outside and running laps around the house doesn't mean you should sit around moping all day." He cupped her face in his hand and gently brushed his thumb across her lower lip. "You not being you isn't going to help me feel better."

Andi put her own hand over his. "I just don't know what to do to help you, I feel so useless."

"You are anything but useless. I just need to rest, I'll be fine." Gabe tried to sound convincing, but he didn't think she was buying it. "I know you don't agree with me, but I can't help but think Mother Brain is still protecting us. She still wants what's best for us and I don't think she'd let us suffer. The accident at the lab was a mistake that shouldn't have happened, but she'll make it right."

Andi looked away from him and didn't answer. "Go paint me something," he requested again, changing the subject. "Something pretty. It'll help make me feel better."

"What would you like?"

Gabe laughed and ruffled her hair. "I thought no one ever told you what to do." She stuck her tongue out at him and his face broke into a big grin. "There's my girl. I knew you'd come back to me eventually."

"I'll start tomorrow," she sighed. "I just found a comfortable position and I don't want to move yet."

"I understand." He managed to slip around to the other side of her and curled himself around her body. Andi could feel his heart beating against her back and the steady rhythm lulled her to sleep.

Over the next several days, Gabe watched Andi paint whenever he was awake. Something had changed and he spent his conscious moments trying to figure out what it was exactly. Her brushstrokes seemed more focused, more deliberate; while her face was usually its own palette of human emotion, this time, she was simply the picture of serenity.

Andi refused to let him see her work-in-progress. "A surprise will really make you feel better!" she said, trying to match his earlier enthusiasm. Whenever he was up and about, she made sure the easel was turned towards the wall; to his credit, Gabe never tried to sneak a peek.

The weakened biologist slept frequently, regardless of the time of day. The late morning sun would shine directly in through the window, though, and would nearly always rouse him from his slumber. One morning, when Gabe opened his eyes, he saw that Andi had propped her canvas up directly across from him so he would see it as soon as he awoke.

The stunning colors of the sun rising over the ocean greeted him from the end of the bed. Unlike her previous paintings, there was nothing abstract or complex about it. The gentle waves of the water seemed as if they were ready to crash down at his feet and he could almost feel the heat coming off of the brand-new sunbeams reaching out to him. Had he the ability to wield a paintbrush, the depiction of his memories of the sunrise would have looked exactly like this.

He heard a noise behind him and turned to find Andi watching him. "I thought you didn't paint the sunrise," he said.

"I thought no one told me what I can and can't do."

He smiled. "As always, you're right."

"I figured I might as well try something new. Do you like it?"

He reached his arms out to her and motioned for her to come to him. She carefully sat down next to him and slowly reclined. These days, part of her irrationally thought he was so fragile, she would break him if she touched him the wrong way, but this morning, she held him as close as she possibly could around her growing stomach.

"It's perfect," he whispered in her ear.


	6. Chapter 6

"Andi, wake up!"

"Mmm." The sleepy woman gradually became aware of someone gently shaking her shoulder. As soon as she realized it was Gabe and that it was the middle of the night, her eyes flew open. "What's wrong?" she asked, trying not to panic.

"Nothing's wrong," he whispered. "Get up and get dressed." Andi raised an eyebrow at him quizzically. "Come on, it's my turn to plan a little bit of fun for us. It's been a long time coming."

As she became more awake, she saw that he was already dressed and was holding a small bag. Too tired and confused to protest, she threw on some clothes as quickly as she could and followed him out the door.

It didn't take long for her to figure out where they were going. Knowing how weak he was and how he had a tendency to tire easily, she frequently asked if he wanted to stop and rest for a few minutes, but he refused. There was no racing through the trees this time, due to his illness and her being largely pregnant, but since Gabe had had the foresight to plan for their slower journey, they made it to the cliffs on time.

Neither would admit their exhaustion out loud, but they carefully lowered themselves to the soft grass. They lay on their sides, one behind the other, and waited in silence. As the first rays of Algol started their ascent into the sky, he slid his arm around her body and laced his fingers through hers. Resting his chin atop her head, he held her as close to him as possible.

Andi closed her eyes and waited to feel the familiar benevolent warmth upon her, a sensation she had not felt in what seemed like ages. With the sounds of the waves colliding with the rocks below and Gabe's gentle breath in her ear, she desperately wanted to believe that they could stay that way forever, that he would always be with her for sunrise after sunrise. Deep down, though, she knew the truth, regardless of how much the light upon her face tried to convince her otherwise.

When the sun had finally finished its climb out from behind the ocean, Gabe rolled onto his back and shielded his eyes from the brightness. It took Andi a considerable amount of effort, but she finally managed to turn herself around to face him. His skin was yellowed now, and only a few stray tufts of purple hair poked up from his scalp, but even with his altered appearance, he was still the most magnificent sight on the planet to her.

They lay quietly for an indeterminate amount of time, neither one wanting to shatter their last illusion of perfection. Andi was the first to break the silence. "I don't think Mother Brain can fix this," she said softly.

"I know."

"I wanted to believe you, believe in her."

"Me too."

Andi felt a stinging dampness in her eyes. "I don't know what I'm going to do without you." The words nearly got caught in her throat.

He turned his head to look at her and brushed some stray strands of hair away from her face. "You will always be my strong, beautiful, wonderful Andi." His hand traced a line down the front of her body until he could feel the reassuring kicks of his child beneath her skin. "And you're going to do an amazing job raising my strong, beautiful, wonderful son."

She couldn't help but smile through her tears. "You're still so sure it's a boy?"

"Please, let me be right just once in my life."

"I'll see what I can do." The mischievous spark hadn't been extinguished completely. "As long as he paints, it's fine with me."

"I still vote for 'biologist'."

"Maybe I'll just let him choose."

The thoughts of the future, rendered incomplete by the absence of Gabe, lingered above them along with the orange-gold sphere that was now directly above them. Always uncomfortable with prolonged silence, Andi was the first to speak again. "There is a telepipe in that bag, right?"

"Of course. I can't be completely spontaneous on my own, I still had to plan this out."

"Good. Because I seriously doubt either one of us could get up right now." She tried to laugh and was moderately successful, but it was still tinged with sadness.

"I'm afraid you're right. Are you ready to go home?" She nodded and he reached behind him for his bag. He set the coordinates on the telepipe and she clung to him as they vanished away into the sunshine.

Andi tried her best in the following days to continue to be the bubbly, passionate woman Gabe adored. It wasn't a denial of their situation but more of an attempt to satisfy him and his desire to see her as he always had. They played games, told jokes, and speculated about their impending child.

One morning, he was simply gone. Andi awoke and noticed he didn't stir when she dragged herself up to a sitting position. Before she could even check if he was breathing, she felt the cold stillness of his skin. There had been no fanfare, no chaos; his exit had been much like him, straightforward and unassuming. Feeling as if a dark, empty hole had grown in her overnight, Andi rested her head in her hands and let the waves of grief wash over her.


	7. Epilogue

The pink-haired woman left her tiny house just as the night sky was starting to lighten to a deep gray. A small infant was nestled against her chest in a sling and she carried her husband's bag in one hand. She moved swiftly through the woods, instincts leading her more than her eyes, and she arrived at the edge of Motavia's massive island before dawn.

She gently laid the baby down on the ground, letting the cloth of the sling be his makeshift bed. He didn't wake, peacefully oblivious to his surroundings. She reached into the bag and pulled out an old notebook. Most people she knew used small, portable computers to write, but she still relished the intimacy of pencil meeting paper.

She waited for the sun to inch out over the horizon, for the first rays to cast their light on the book she held in her hand. As always, she closed her eyes at the appearance of the sun, preferring to feel instead of see. When she was satisfied that enough light had filled the sky, she opened the notebook and began to compose.

_My dearest Gabe,_

_Even as I write, I know you're here with me, looking over my shoulder as you always used to do. You're in the breeze through my hair, in the scent of the grass, in the light of the sun rippling over the sea. You're the twinkle in baby Hugh's eyes, and I have no doubt that you're gazing upon me and our beloved son with nothing but love in your heart. He is my sunrise now, my new beginning, the life to pick up where yours left off. I know he will be just like his father and do incredible things with his life, and we'll always be watching him together, even when we're physically apart. _

_You always told me not to worry, and now I ask the same of you. We are both healthy and safe and we have you and the precious light of Algol watching over and protecting us. The pain of missing you is always present in me, but I'll keep smiling so he learns how to smile, I'll laugh so he learns to laugh. And as I loved you, he will learn to love and cherish you as if you were here by his side, as I know you wanted to be. _

_Always yours,_

_Deandra_

She used her usual elaborate signature, just as she had always done. Several tears had splattered onto the page, slightly smudging the writing, but it didn't matter. The purple-haired baby opened his eyes and cooed for his mother, kicking his legs. She reached out for her son and picked him up to kiss him before laying him back down for one more moment. Ripping the page out of the notebook, she folded up her letter and walked to the edge of the cliff. Embraced by the warmth of the sun, she tossed the letter out into the air and watched it float down and disappear into the waves below.


End file.
